Trolley-wheel



F. C. KARKALLA. mouw WHEEL. 'APPLICATION man sumo. |915.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

FIQQ

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed September 20, 1916. Serial NoA 121,259.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. KARKALLA, a citizen of the Unitedl States,residing at Fairhaven, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device by means of which 'a trolley wirewill be automatically returned to the trolley wheel groove when oncedisplaced, generally caused by going across a switch.

The primary object of the invention is to accomplish the foregoingresult with a structure that can be manufactured at a minimum expense,and certain parts of which are capable of being connected to a newtrolley wheel when a trolley wheel has worn out.

An object of the invention is the novel manner of associating thegrooved members with a trolley wheel so that the trolley wheel can bequickly removed and a mew wheel substituted.

Besides the above my invention is distinguished in the manner ofassociating the trolley wheel with the members and conining the sameupon a shaft the latter having slight endwise mo-vement by the use ofsuitably located leaf springs so :as to take up the irregularities ofthe trolley wire. The leaf springs have the additional advantage ofassuring a good electrical connection between the trolley replacer andthe ole. p With these land other objects in view the invention will bebetter understood from the following detail description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, wherein z- A Figure l, is aside elevation of the device.

Fig. l2, is a longitudinal sectional viewl thereof.

Fig. 3, is a detail view of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to the drawing the numeral l, designates a trolley polefhaving a forked extremity the limbs 2 and 3 of which are formed withbearings 1. Rigidly mounted in the bearings 4 is a supporting element inthe form of a shaft y5. At an intermediate point the shaft has formedthereon a collar 6.

A trolley wheel 7, of the well known construction has formed in itssides at spaced intervals slots 8, one wall 9 of which is inxClined.

Each member is formed with a groove l2 (for moving the trolley wiretoward the groove 13 in the trolley wheel. The groove of the trolleywheel communicates with the groove ofthe member through an auxiliarygroove 14 formed in the flange of the trolley wheel. Each replacingmember has a flange 15 bearing upon the shaft and provided with lugs 16having a wedging action with the slots 8. y

At this point I :wish to call attention to the fact that the flange ofone member abuts the collar 6, while a washer 16 and a cotter pin 17abuts the flange of the other member and holds the lugs seated in theslots 8.

To complete the invention the open ends of the members are closed byldisks 18 and bearing upon the disks are leaf springs 19 that are inturn rigidly secured to the limbs 2 and 3 so as to assure a goodelectrical connection between the trolley and the pole.

I wish to call attention to the fact that although disks 18 are providedthe same may be dispensed with and the springs 19 shaped to continuouslybear upon the adjacent ends of the members.

From the foregoing description it Iwill be seen that I provide a devicein which cer- -tain parts can be used over and over again so as tomimimize the upkeep as it -is well known in practice that the life of atrolleywheel is relatively short.

For. the purpose of assuring a perfect electrical connection between thetrolley wheel and the members and dispensing with the machining of slotsto receive the lugs I haveshown in Fig. 8, the trolley wheel '19 as wellas the member 20 formed part way around with an under cut slot 21 inwhich is deposited in a molten condition a fusible element 22 such aslead. The advantage of that form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3,is that when the parts are to be disassociated heat is applied to thefusible element which causes the same to run out of the slots and allowsthe parts to be quickly separated. Besides this a good electricalconnection between the elements is positive.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing it should be apparent that I provide a device which is admirablyadapted for the pun pose for which it is intended, that the device issimple, durable and etlicient of construction andl may be manufacturedandv Isold at a comparatively low cost.

What I claim is z- A trolley Comprisinga pole having 2L forkedextremity, a shaft mounted therein, e pair of hollenT spirally grooif'edmembers mounted upon the shaft, said members being open at one end andhaving their opposite ends Closed, means located noon said shaft Withineach of seid members and engageeble With the inner face of the Closedend oi the latter to limit its longitudinal movement in one direction7 atrolley Wheel positioned between the closed end o1p4 the members to holdthem in spaced relation, seid Wheel having` grooved flanges registeringwith the grooves of the hollow members, interlocking lug,- and slotengagement between said members and trolley Wheel to prevent relativerotary movement, and means for deteohably connecting each of the memberswith the trolley Wheel.

ln testimony whereof l eiix my signature.

FRANK C.' lIARlQ/lLl-LA.

